Tuesday, April 19, 2011

BC's Energy Conundrum (National Post via The Oil Drum)

B.C.'s curious energy double standard

Jason Payne, Postmedia Network News

Representatives from a coalition of sixty-one First Nations groups rally outside the Vancouver offices of Enbridge Inc. on Dec. 2, 2010 to voice their concerns about the proposed Enbridge Northern Gateway Pipeline.

VICTORIA - The controversy over the proposed Northern Gateway oil-sands pipeline highlights a unique perspective in British Columbia on fossil fuels -- bring on the gas, but not the oil.

The province's benign treatment of natural gas extends to practices and plans that give communities elsewhere a lot of heartburn. B.C. has vast fracking operations in the northeast, plans to build at least two terminals in the Kitimat area on the northern coast to liquefy the gas, and then there are plans to transport the gas aboard special tankers to markets in Asia.

The gas side of the industry even gets the nod of powerful First Nations -- the Haisla is a partner in both LNG facilities. Meanwhile, the risk of spills, contamination and explosions seems to get little attention.